


the dreamer and the goddess

by ekallos



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Cuties, Dreams, F/M, Inner Dialogue, Internal Conflict, Shared Universe, Soulmates, and i still love shirbert, because im a lazy pos, but hey! i still exist, of the last fic i wrote, so this should hopefully turn out well but no promises, think of this as kind of a continuation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-15 08:11:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15408711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ekallos/pseuds/ekallos
Summary: Two souls helplessly entangled in one another, but who said they couldn't enjoy it?





	the dreamer and the goddess

**Author's Note:**

> the song for this fic is i will follow you into the dark - death cab for cutie. such a cute song that reminds me a lot of shirbert, and helped me with the inspo for this. another one would be let me in - snowmine, another soft tune with a relevant topic.

_"In somnis veritas," they murmured, filling his mind with possibilities, endless and inevitable._

What do you mean?  _he foolishly asked, as if an answer would ease his perpetual state of ignorance._

_"In dreams, there is truth."_

 

* * *

 

It became painstakingly clear after only a few minutes that Gilbert Blythe was dreaming.

 

More recently, he did not dream. He simply had no time. When he was younger, however, he would dream of large fields with expansive meadows and free-roaming creatures that didn't quite seem to fit the limitations of this world. He would dream of his father picking him up and tossing him into the air, almost like a memory. He would dream of being popular at school, getting all the correct answers and having both boys and girls fall at his feet in adoration. 

In his dreams, he was a king. But not recently.

Gilbert was unsure of why, suddenly, he could dream again. Thinking back, he assumed it was because he ate too close to bedtime, and now his mind was reeling and trying to compensate for lost energy. But the more he pondered, the more he realized that it was a result of his current affair with Anne Shirley, an auburn-headed girl from his class. 

Anne was nothing of the kind of person to be desired after. She didn't have elegant features, or voluminous hair, or a set of personality features that were fit to be confined. Which was how Gilbert liked it. She was fiery, matching her hair in equal parts flame and attitude. There was nothing in the world that could tie her down. And that included Gilbert.

But here she was anyway.

Currently, Gilbert appeared to be standing straight up. Well, perhaps it would've been more like floating, since one usually would not stand if they were propelled in endless space. He knew it was a dream because of the sheer impracticality of it all, but he couldn't help himself when he found floating in all this nothingness quite enjoyable. 

Stars faltered and changed around him, passing through his body and illuminating him for just a second before dying out, whispering something Gilbert couldn't quite catch. They seemed to be telling a story, as one would do when spending a whole lifetime in space. Plus, these stars didn't seem like stars to Gilbert. They were, he wondered, perhaps dying beings, projecting their last thoughts and wishes onto anyone they could get their souls on. Gilbert wished he could do more, but they would fizz out before he got his hand close enough to touch it. And so it went, until something else appeared.

Right away, Gilbert knew something had shifted in his own private space. It felt like a ripple, starting from infinity and passing through him and then continuing into infinity. Peering around, he tried to locate the source of the intrusion, with no avail. He felt oddly exposed, like a fragment of his soul had been pulled out and thrust into the universe. He did not like it, but he knew, deep down, it was inevitable.

This had happened before and would again.

Then, something appeared in a ball of pale light. If he squinted, he could just make out the shape of another person. Or soul. Maybe an angel? He couldn't tell, until he saw the stars.

They shot through the darkness, cutting a stream of starlight just across Gilbert's vision. They led him far away, or pulled the other thing closer to him, he couldn't tell. But he knew the thing was getting closer, and he was a little hesitant to reveal the stranger's identity. The stars all gathered around the thing, singular murmuring slowly growing to a loud buzz that rattled Gilbert's rationality. He was now close enough to see the thing that had burst in unannounced.

It was a girl. More specifically, it was Anne Shirley. The one girl he  _really_ didn't want to see right now. Not because he didn't enjoy her presence, because he did, but because he knew she would turn this space into her own with just a glance. Knowing Anne's personality, she enjoyed large, eternal spaces with lots of room to think. He felt almost territorial. 

_Don't feel threatened. I am just here to give you something._

The voice of Anne - no, something else speaking through her - resonated loudly within his brain, and he felt the edge of reality slipping from him. He desperately tried to keep a hold on his subconscious just long enough to see what Anne had to say.

_Why are you here?_

Anne was now just a few inches away, her hands glowing even brighter than the rest of her body. She wore a long white dress that did her slim figure justice, and her hair was tied up with a lace ribbon. She looked like she was going to a party, and Gilbert felt suddenly very under-dressed in his plaid pajamas. With the stark darkness behind her, Anne seemed heavenly.

_A gift. For a king._

Gilbert buzzed with anticipation as she reached her delicate cupped palms up and over his head. It was a crown, completely made out of the stars. He felt the excitement as the crown was placed upon his messy hair, and felt the illumination touch even the deepest parts of him, exposing his entire soul to her. But he didn't feel embarrassed, because now, they reflected each other. 

She smiled, a soft and sweet grin that didn't manifest right away in Gilbert's slipping thoughts. It was unlike her, but at the same time, suited her perfectly. She reached for his face, and Gilbert felt his heartbeat quicken in time with the pulsating lights atop his head. Her fingers met his skin, a chilling haunting of a touch that made Gilbert's bones quiver. 

_Wake up._

As her lips nearly met his, Gilbert woke with a start.

 

* * *

 

Anne didn't really enjoy going to school. Though she knew it provided knowledge and could keep her restless body in one place without breaking anything, she still felt trapped. 

It also didn't help when the other kids endlessly made fun of her, for reasons she knew were obvious. Her hair, her eyes, her body, her personality. She felt like everything was wrong with her when she was at school. All of the flaws she normally ignored were suddenly put under the spotlight, catching her in a series of breakdowns and flashbacks to a worse time. In a way, they kind of helped. At least at school, she knew she wasn't going to be hurt physically. Mentally, though, was a different topic.

But Anne had learned how to escape all of that. 

It didn't matter if the kids had been especially cruel, Billy whispering something nasty across the room as if she couldn't hear him. Josie giggling and snipping back with something just as equally matched in monstrosity. Anne could always leave to her one safe space. 

Which was herself.

A short walk through the looming woods with sunlight filtering through the leaves and dancing shadows across her face left her breathless. A skip through an ever-running stream with multi-colored trout swimming towards her feet sent her breath back in waves, turning into laughter. A tumble through the field with leaves tangled in her hair and a song in her throat left her euphoric. She felt untouchable in nature's arms.

That included her dreams. Anne wasn't too much of a dreamer, since she did so much of it in the daytime. But this time was an exception. 

And this specific dream had Anne on edge the whole day. She was confused as to why it happened, and what could possibly be running through her subconscious if _that_ showed up in her dreams. Nonetheless, she went to school and faced her fate.

The day was minutes away from starting, and Anne had just been chatting with Diana about her dream, leaving out a few parts she thought could be incriminating. Diana had a lot to say on the matter.

"That's lovely, Anne! I wish I had such a vivid imagination as yours."

Anne scoffed. "Trust me, if I could give you a slice of it, I would. You could maybe even do something with it, whereas I am perpetually stuck in a useless loop of worthlessness."

Diana giggled, a sound Anne could never grow tired of. It reminded her of bluebirds returning home for spring, and greeting the day with a song. "Oh, Anne, don't put yourself down. You'll do amazing things with that brain one day, I'm sure of it."

Anne smiled. "I don't think there's anyone who's even close to deserving of your friendship, Diana."

Diana tilted her head and held out a dainty hand to Anne's. When she took it, she gently caressed the skin on top, bringing a sort of peace to Anne. She felt mesmerized by the motion, and felt like she was going to fall asleep. Diana let go and gave Anne a small grin. 

"Gilbert's here."

There went the peace, right out of the window.

Anne tried to keep herself from whipping around to shoot daggers at the curly-haired boy, but she somehow managed to turn just enough so that they were able to make eye contact from across the room. Gilbert seemed to match her expression perfectly, a mixture of wariness and eagerness at the same time. Anne had to tear her eyes away. He did have  _some_ redeeming qualities, she had to admit.

Usually Anne was not interested in the affairs of Gilbert Blythe. He was just a rival when it came to schoolwork, and a boy at that. All boys seemed to think they were better than Anne and the rest of the girls, so Anne felt inclined to prove she was the best.

Somehow, Gilbert seemed different. He wasn't always interested in beating her. He was seemingly just interested in her reaction to him trying to beat her, which infuriated Anne even more. Plus, this whole dream thing kind of had her out of sorts. She was noticing things about him she hadn't always before: the ways his eyelashes played tricks when the sunlight hit them, casting elongated shadows and making him look more feminine; when he was thinking hard, his jaw clenched and Anne noticing a small muscle move in response; his light hazel eyes, striking and soothing. It was oddly charming, Gilbert's face. 

She hated it.

Turning back to the teacher, she brought out her chalkboard and books. As she tried to pay attention to the class, she became aware of Gilbert in her peripheral vision trying to shift her attention to him. 

She would not allow her gaze to be broken. Keeping her face perfectly still, she opened her book to the page the teacher had announced, mentally encouraging Gilbert to do the same.

He did, but did not cease his attempt to cast Anne's eyes on him.  _Boys,_ Anne thought, exasperated.  _Gilbert's the worst of them all._ Her eye twitched as a scrap of paper landed in front of her, and she didn't stop herself as she turned her head, hair whipping to hit herself in the cheek, eyes furious and questioning. Gilbert merely pointed to the note with urgency, and she gave up.

Keeping an eye on the teacher at the front, she let her hand creep across the desk to snatch the edge of the paper, and quickly put it under her desk where she could read it with her head down. It read, in Gilbert's surprisingly intricate handwriting:

_Need to talk to you after class. Meet me behind the building. - GB_

Anne crumpled up the note. This day was going to be a long one.

 

* * *

 

Gilbert stood outside the school building as the clouds gathered overhead, casting a dark gloom over the lot. It would take him a while to get home if he stayed here any longer, but Gilbert felt an obligation to linger around until Anne came out.

He blew out a puff of air, rubbing his gloved hands together and placing them on his face, squinting his eyes and trying to focus on how he would say this. The whole day he had been debating on whether or not he should even  _tell_ Anne about the dream, let alone _how_ to tell her. He wasn't even sure if she would show up.

Opening his eyes and casting his gaze upwards, he looked back on his dream. Now that he wasn't in it, he could see it less clearly, and didn't even think it meant much now. But he knew it still did. And Anne deserved to know, or else his conscience would haunt him probably forever. She was his friend, and a close one at that. 

He looked back down and shuffled his boot in the wilting grass. It made a satisfying crunch as he stepped on a dead leaf, and he sighed outwardly. He really was an idiot. She wasn't going to show, and she was never going to. 

He felt kind of let down, even though this had been happening for a while. His advances were never returned, although, admittedly, his advances were tugging on her hair and shooting fleeting glances across the room. Perhaps he should work on his flirting skills.

As Gilbert pondered over his measly love life, he heard a small shuffle from behind him. He turned around, hopeful. 

There she was. She looked the same as she always did, but still Gilbert felt an unexplainable pull from her, like an ocean pulling in the tide. He was just a small part of her life, but she was such a big part of his. 

He regarded her for a moment, watching her adjust her dress and hat before clearing her throat. 

"You...wanted to talk...to me?" Her voice faltered, her eyes skittish and panning the surroundings. Did she feel unsafe in his presence?

He stood straight up, trying to seem less intimidating although he was a head taller than her. He tried to sort the words out in his head, but nothing came to mind. He didn't know what to say. Nothing like this had ever occurred to him before, and he certainly didn't have much practice in the girl area. But he still felt composed, perhaps from the left over effect of the dream, or maybe just standing so closely to Anne. He never could tell. 

Finally, he spoke.

"Uh, yeah. Um. It's about...a dream I had last night." 

Now that he thought back on it, he was certain there were better ways of phrasing that so as to not come across like a total stalker. Anne's face made a look of...something. Gilbert couldn't place this one, but it fell between the lines of bafflement and disregard.

"Okay. Why would I need to know that?" Her voice slightly speared Gilbert, but he had built up his defenses for a long time. He was used to initial rejection.

"Just- hear me out. It was weird, like...I don't know. You were in it, and I..." He trailed off, struggling more than ever to search for a comprehensible explanation.

Anne's eyes widened, and her stance became awkward. Her face became a slight cherry color, and Gilbert too found himself embarrassed at this predicament. Why did he get himself into these messes? 

Anne stuttered for a second before regaining her composure. She raised a hand to her forehead, moving her hair to the side and covering her face. Gilbert wanted to see her getting flustered, but he supposed that would be a little weird to ask. She cleared her throat again.

"I...um, I had a dream. Too. With you. In it. And me." At this point, Anne's face was completely red. Gilbert felt a little ashamed to being even a little entertained by this. But the other, more rational part of him was shocked. They had somehow had the same dream at the same time. Which meant -

"You were...in my dream?" Gilbert questioned, a little hesitant. 

Anne nodded, a small gesture that suggested she was embarrassed to be even admitting it. Gilbert swallowed and placed a hand on the back of his neck, feeling it grow warm. He didn't know what to say next; obviously, he had not expected to get this far in this conversation.

Anne fixed her hat and breathed out slowly, a release of anxiety and shame. She smiled a little, almost a pitiful one, one that said:  _You were silly to even dream about being with me._

"You were in space, correct? And I was floating towards you, and I gave you a crown of stars?"

Gilbert nodded, hesitant. He wasn't sure what Anne really thought of this yet, but he was nervous to find out.

Anne continued. "And then I reached for your face. Then-" she cut off, suddenly remembering. However, her facade did not falter, even for a second. She coughed. "ThenInearlykissedyou, and then it was over." She spoke so quickly at the beginning that Gilbert did not register her words until they had been spoken completely. He nodded once more.

She sighed, and placed a finger on her lip in a pondering moment. "Quite intriguing. And it was the same dream, but from our own point of views. Maybe..." 

Anne looked up at him, eyebrows quirked in a cute way that Gilbert found amusing. A smile crept across her lips, and out came a laugh. He never thought one would grace him to be directed his way, and he treasured that small notion.

"Looks like our brains are on the same wavelength, then, huh? Great minds think alike?" She suggested.

Gilbert grinned. "I suppose so."

Anne exhaled, not a sigh, but a short breath that told him this conversation should be ended, and soon. "That's quite the feat. Perhaps...I'll see you in my dreams again? Tonight, we could go to a grand ball, wearing the finest clothes, and be the object of everyone's eyes! Or, maybe, we could go on a private plane to the most exquisite places in the world! Paris, Rome, Australia, wherever! How fun would that be?" 

During this, Gilbert felt every inch of himself adore Anne. Her spontaneity, her youth, her curiousness for things beyond her, her  _love._ She was so full of everything, and Gilbert wanted to see all of it. All of Anne. A goddess was she, and he just a mortal dreamer. He knew he had no chance of coming even close to being the person he wanted to be in her eyes, but he could try.

Smiling, he spoke. "That would be wonderful."

He could dream.

 

**Author's Note:**

> heyyy  
> so i finally got inspiration to write! i know this will probably not live up to set standards, but i thought of this while in the car and thought it might be a little cute. you can feel free to think of this as a kind of continuation from the last fic too, since it kind of lines up. which reminds me, THANK YOU! for all the positive feedback on the last one it has like,, 2000 hits?? ive never gotten so many omg. but thank you, i never really think of my writing as something people want to read, so this is really touching to me.  
> after this, im not sure ill be writing a whole bunch since school is coming up, so ill drop my social media for you to follow me on!  
> tumblr @/aeterns , instagram @/mithrandirs  
> i dont post much on insta, but im very active on tumblr! feel free to follow me on any of these!  
> and i hope you enjoyed this fic, again, please leave a comment if you enjoyed! thank you sooo much <3


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